The Ties That Bind
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: A young visitor to the manor brings a surprising revelation about Prue to the sisters.
1. Chapter 1

CHARMED

"The Ties That Bind"

By J. B. Tilton

email: K

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 5 episodes "Magic Wears A Mask" and "The Eyes Have It".)

A young visitor to the manor brings a surprising revelation about Prue to the sisters.

ONE

Phoebe opened the front door to the manor to find a young girl about twelve-years-old standing on the front porch. The girl had blond hair and was dressed in jeans and a jacket. Her clothes were mused as if she had been sleeping in them. Next to the young girl sat a small suitcase.

"Can I help you?" Phoebe asked.

"I hope so," said the young girl. "Is this 1329 Prescott Street?"

"Yes, it is," said Phoebe.

"Are you Prudence Halliwell?" asked the young girl.

"No, my name is Phoebe," said Phoebe. "Prue was my sister."

"Oh," said the girl, some disappointment obvious in her voice. "Is she home? I need to talk to her. It's really important."

"Why don't you come in?" asked Phoebe. "You look like you've come a long way."

"Yes, ma'am," said the young girl, picking up the suitcase and following Phoebe into the living room. "I came all the way from Tacoma, Washington. My name is Patricia Shelling."

"It's nice to meet you," said Phoebe just as Piper came in from the kitchen.

"Well, who's our guest?" Piper asked.

"Her name is Patricia Shelling," said Phoebe. "This is my sister, Piper."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," said Patricia.

"Well, you're certainly polite enough," said Piper. "Only let's tone down the 'ma'am' stuff, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am, uh, I mean, okay," said Patricia. "My mom always said to be polite to people."

"Sounds like a very smart woman," said Piper.

"She asked to see Prue," said Phoebe.

"Oh?" Piper questioned. "Did you know my sister?"

"No, I never met her," said Patricia. "I've been looking for her for a couple of years. All I have is a picture of her and the name Prudence Halliwell. I found out she lived here so I came to see her."

"I see," said Piper, looking at a photograph Patricia had shown them.

It showed a much younger Prue with a young man about her same age. Neither Piper nor Phoebe recognized the man.

"This was Prue about twelve years ago," said Piper. "But she never cared for the name Prudence. She always went by Prue."

"Oh," said Patricia. "I didn't know that. Is she home? I've come a long way to see her and it's really important."

"Patricia," said Phoebe, glancing uneasily at Piper, "Prue isn't here. There's really no easy way to say this. Prue died last year."

"Died?" Patricia questioned. "She's dead?"

"I'm afraid so," said Piper.

"Was she sick or something?" Patricia asked.

"Not exactly," said Piper. "It was kind of sudden."

"I see," said Patricia. "I guess I came all this way for nothing."

"Is there something we could help you with?" Phoebe asked. "We are her sisters. Maybe there's something we can do."

"No, I don't think so," said Patricia. "I really needed to talk to Prue."

"Out of curiosity," said Piper, "what was it you wanted to see her about?"

"I guess it doesn't matter any more," said Patricia. "If she's dead I guess I'm not going to find out anything. That picture is the only one I have. The man is supposed to be my father. My real father. I was adopted when I was a baby. I've been looking for my real parents since I found out. But I don't know anything about him and I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"I see," said Piper. "And you thought because Prue seemed to know him that maybe she could tell you about your father? Is that it?"

"Yeah, partially," said Patricia. "But it's a lot more than that. You see, I think Prue Halliwell is my real mom."


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

Patricia sat at the kitchen table eating a meal Piper had made for her. Apparently, the young girl had spent the better part of the last two days on a bus ride to San Francisco.

"She's claiming to be Prue's daughter?" questioned Leo.

"That's why I called you," said Piper. "She has this picture of Prue but I don't recognize the man with her."

"And she told you she was twelve-years-old?" Leo asked. "That would mean she was born in 1989."

"That's when Prue was away at college," said Phoebe. "Is it possible Prue got pregnant in college and no one knew about it?"

"I suppose it's possible," Piper said. "But I find it hard to believe something like that would happen and she wouldn't tell anyone."

"Grams would have killed her," said Phoebe. "I remember when I told Grams I thought I was pregnant. She went ballistic."

"That's because you were fifteen," said Piper. "And it was just another in a long line of screw ups that you kept making."

"Well, that's certainly true," said Phoebe.

"Does she have anything else?" Leo asked. "Besides the picture, I mean?"

"No, nothing," said Piper. "She told us she found the adoption papers in her parents attic a couple of years ago. But they didn't list the names of her biological parents. When she found out she was adopted she started looking for her biological parents. All she's been able to track down so far is the name of the man she thinks is her father and that picture. His name is Daniel Clary, the man in the picture."

"And she thinks Prue is her mother simply because of one photograph?" asked Leo. "That's not a lot to go on."

"She said she did an Internet search," said Phoebe. "Apparently Prue was in the same hospital the same week Patricia was born. But she couldn't find out what Prue was in the hospital for."

"Prue was in the hospital about that time," said Piper. "Grams told me it was pneumonia."

"You think what Patricia says is true?" Phoebe asked. "Maybe Grams knew about it?"

"I doubt that," said Leo. "I can't see Penny allowing her to be put up for adoption. Especially since she's a girl. Penny would never have let a Halliwell witch be adopted out."

"That's true," said Piper. "We didn't know anything about our lineage but Grams did. Except we don't know that Patricia is a witch. She hasn't said anything about having any special powers. And you know it does skip a generation some times."

"That's true," said Phoebe. "But I still can't see Grams allowing her to be put up for adoption. It would have been her great granddaughter. But whether she's Prue's daughter or not I'm sure her parents are worried sick about her. We should at least try to find out who they are so we can let them know she's okay."

"That's a good idea," said Leo. "Paige might be able to find out how much of her story is true. She'll have access to records where she works that we don't have access to."

"Leo," said Piper, "why don't you go let Paige know what's going on? Phoebe can see what she can learn on the Internet. I'll go have a talk with Patricia and see if I can learn some more about her that can help us."

"You really think that's Prue's daughter?" Phoebe asked Leo as Piper went into the kitchen.

"I don't know," Leo said. "It's hard to believe Prue could have been pregnant and no one ever found out. Before you got your powers the Elders didn't watch you all the time. But they did look in on you from time to time. It's hard to believe that didn't notice anything for nine months."

"I'd better get started," Phoebe said. "You should get to Paige and fill her in."

"Right," said Leo.

He orbed out of the manor as Phoebe headed for her computer.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

"Do you believe her?" Paige asked as she looked over a page Leo had given her. "Do you think she might be Prue's daughter?"

"I don't think she's lying," said Leo. "I think she's being honest about her suspicions. But she has so little information to go on. It's possible she is Prue's daughter but we don't have enough to go on. That page has everything about her that we know. We thought you might be able to learn something through your connections."

"I'll see what I can do," said Paige. "At least I should be able to verify her story. About being born the same time Prue was in the same hospital. That's interesting. Her first name is Patricia. It's the same as our mother's name."

"It would have been just like Prue to name her daughter after her mother," Leo said. "Of course, her name could have been changed during the adoption. It might just be coincidence."

"Maybe," said Paige. "I'll let you know what I find out."

"Thanks," said Leo.

He then headed for a secluded spot where he could orb back to the manor.

"Maybe we should call your parents and let them know you're okay," suggested Piper as Patricia finished her meal. "I'm sure they're worried about you."

"No, they aren't," said Patricia. "They don't want me any more. My dad said I'm a freak."

"You're father told you that?" Piper asked. "Why would he say something like that to you?"

"Oh, uh, I don't know," said Patricia nervously. "They just don't want me any more, that's all."

"I find that hard to believe," said Piper. "They adopted you, didn't they? They didn't have to. They chose to do it."

"Yeah, but they changed their minds," said Patricia. "I'm not a little baby any more. I guess they don't want someone as old as I am."

"I'm sure that's not true," said Piper. "A parents love doesn't change just because you get older."

"You got any kids?" Patricia asked.

"Not yet," said Piper.

"Then how do you know?" Patricia asked.

"I was raised by my grandmother," said Piper. "From the time I was younger than you are now. She didn't stop loving me just because I got older. If anything she loved me even more."

"She sounds nice," said Patricia.

"She was," said Piper. "She passed away a few years ago."

"Everybody around here dies," said Patricia.

"Not everybody," said Piper. "But people do die. I still think we should call your parents. Regardless of how you think they might feel, I'm sure they're worried about you. I'll tell you what. Why not let me call them and tell then you're okay? We won't tell them where you are just yet. We'll just let them know that you're safe. How's that sound?"

"We don't tell them where I am?" Patricia questioned.

"I promise," said Piper. "We just say that you're safe and unharmed."

"Well, okay," said Patricia. "I'm sure they don't care, but it's okay with me as long as you don't tell them where I am."

Patricia pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Piper. It had an address and phone number written on it. Patricia told Piper that was the address and phone number for her parents. Piper got up and walked over to the phone. As she reached for the phone a man suddenly appeared beside her.

The man stood just over six feet in height. He had reddish colored hair and several days' growth of beard. He was dressed casually completely in black. Piper had only to look at him to know what he was. He was a warlock.

Patricia screamed as the man struck out, striking Piper in the face, knocking her against the wall. Piper struck the wall and slumped to the floor dazed as the warlock pulled a dagger out of his belt.

"Now," said the warlock, "I'll have what I came for. The power of a witch."


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

Patricia screamed again as the warlock smiled an evil smile.

"Scream all you want," said the warlock. "It won't do either of you any good. I get the power of a witch and I have to take out a witness to boot. Not really a problem, though. It's not like it's the first time."

Suddenly Phoebe stepped into the kitchen. She struck out with her foot hitting the warlock on the wrist that held the dagger. The dagger was knocked from his hand and fell to the floor, sliding underneath the table. Phoebe immediately spun around kicking the warlock in the chest and knocking him back toward the back door.

"No ones' taking out anybody today," said Phoebe taking up a defensive stance between Piper and the warlock. "Patricia, go in the living room. I'll take care of this guy."

Piper was beginning to regain her feet as the warlock stood up in front of the back door. He just smiled at Phoebe as he simply held his hand up. The dagger suddenly vanished from underneath the table and reappeared in the warlocks' hand.

"I wouldn't count on that," said the warlock. "Your martial arts skill is not match for my power."

"Leave her alone," screamed Patricia. "She didn't do nothing to you."

"She's in my way," said the warlock advancing on Phoebe. "But I can remedy that very easily."

"No," screamed Patricia.

Phoebe tensed for the attack. In a moment Piper would be fully recovered. She would be able to use her power to stop the warlock. All Phoebe had to do was keep the warlock occupied long enough for her sister to act. That, and keep from getting killed in the process.

Before the warlock or either Piper or Phoebe could react, an invisible force suddenly cast the warlock back against the back door. The warlock struck the door with such force that it shattered under his weight, sending him sprawling into the backyard.

The dagger lay on the floor just inside the back door. Piper hurriedly snatched up the dagger as the warlock rose to his feet in the back yard, holding his left arm. Cursing Piper, the warlock suddenly blinked and vanished from the backyard.

"I'm sorry," Patricia pleaded. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to hurt him. Please don't punish me. I won't do it again, I promise. I'll be good."

Piper and Phoebe just stared at Patricia. The little girl seemed terrified of them both.

Paige collected her jacket, purse, and a stack of papers from her desk. She hadn't been able to find out a whole lot about Patricia Shelling. As with most adoptions, the records were sealed. But Paige had been able to find out some things.

Apparently, Patricia had been born in San Francisco on September 12, 1989. A couple from Washington State had adopted her almost immediately. And Patricia's name had not been changed during the adoption. So whoever her biological mother was, she had named Patricia.

Paige hadn't been able to discover the names of Patricia's biological parents because the records were sealed. But maybe with what she had discovered they'd be able to figure it out. Paige thought how much things had changed in such a short period of time. A year ago she was an only child with no relatives. Now, she had two sisters and possibly a niece. Smiling, Paige headed for her car.


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

Piper, Phoebe, and Leo sat in the living room looking at Patricia. The twelve-year-old was staring at the floor guiltily. As if she had done something wrong and was waiting to be punished.

"It seems you left something out of the story you told us," said Piper.

"I'm sorry," pleaded Patricia. "I didn't mean to hurt him. It was an accident. I'll leave. You don't have to worry about me. I'll go away and you don't ever have to worry about me again."

"We don't want you to leave," said Piper.

"You don't?" Patricia asked. "You must really be angry with me."

"Oh, sweetie, we aren't angry," said Phoebe. "And Piper's right. We don't want you to leave."

"Of course not," said Piper. "Patricia is that why your daddy called you a freak? Because of what you can do?"

"Yes," said Patricia. "I didn't mean to hurt mommy. I just got so angry. All of a sudden mommy was knocked back like that man in the kitchen."

"It's called telekinesis," said Leo. "It means you can move things just by thinking about it."

"Prue had that power," said Piper.

"So, I'm not a freak?" Patricia asked.

"No, honey, you're not a freak," said Phoebe. "I'm sure your father didn't mean it. He was probably just scared when it happened. A lot of people don't know how to react to something like that."

"How long have you been able to do that?" Piper asked.

"A few months," said Patricia. "Mostly when I get real angry or upset. It just kind of happens."

"Just like Prue," said Phoebe. "I remember in that drug store just after we got our powers. I was taunting her. She knocked everything in the entire aisle off the shelves."

"Powers?" Patricia questioned. "You mean my mom could do other things?"

"Oh yeah," said Piper. "We all can. Look, Patricia, if you are Prue's daughter that makes you our niece. We're witches. That would also make you a witch. Even if you aren't Prue's daughter it still looks like you're a witch."

"A witch?" Patricia questioned. "You mean like riding a broom and the pointy hat and bubbling cauldron and all?"

"It's not really like that," said Phoebe. "Witches are just like everyone else. They just have certain powers, that's all."

"And unfortunately," said Piper, "there are some bad people out there who want to take that power. That's what the man in the kitchen wanted."

"I really am sorry about that," said Patricia. "I didn't mean to hurt him. But when he tried to hurt Phoebe I got angry. I won't do it again, I promise."

"Patricia," said Phoebe, "what you did to that man wasn't bad. He came here to hurt Piper. Maybe to hurt Paige and me, too. You stopped him. He's a very bad man so don't be concerned if you hurt him."

"He came to hurt you?" Patricia asked Piper.

"Apparently so," said Piper. "He's one of the bad people I told you about. He's called a warlock and he's a very bad man. If you hadn't been there he might have killed me so what you did wasn't a bad thing."

"Why would he want to kill you?" Patricia asked. "He doesn't even know you."

"That doesn't matter to him," said Leo. "He wants to steal their powers. That's what most warlocks do. They kill witches to steal their powers."

"Will he try to kill me?" Patricia asked.

"Probably not for a very long time," said Piper, trying to make the girl feel better. "He'll probably want to wait until your power develops a little bit more."

"Hmmm," said Patricia. "Then I wonder what he wanted."

"He was after Piper, like we told you," said Phoebe.

"No, I mean in Tacoma," said Patricia. "I met him after I got that telekinesis thing. But I didn't trust him. That's one of the reasons I came to find my mom. I thought she might be able to explain some things to me."

"You knew him in Tacoma?" Piper asked.

"Yeah," said Patricia. "I guess he followed me here. When I saw him in the kitchen I just figured he had come after me again."

"He might have," said Leo. "Maybe he was after her. Patricia, instead of Piper. The question is what's so important about a twelve-year-old girl that a warlock would risk attacking her here in the manor?"


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

"So, you're our houseguest," said Paige sitting on the sofa next to Patricia. "We have something in common. I'm adopted, too."

"You are?" questioned Patricia. "You mean your parents didn't want you either?"

"It's not like that," said Paige. "My parents loved me very much. Just as I'm sure yours did. But at the time they thought it was best if they gave me up for adoption. They actually did it because they did love me, just as I'm sure your parents did."

"You really think so?" Patricia asked.

"I'm sure of it," said Paige. "I'm sure giving you up was the hardest thing your mother ever had to do."

"Speaking of which," said Piper, "what did you find out?"

"Well," said Paige, looking at the papers she had brought home with her, "I was able to verify that Patricia was born the same week Prue was in the hospital. But the records are incomplete. There's no indication of what Prue was in for. According to court records, Patricia was adopted about six months later by a Robert and Michelle Shelling."

"That's my mom and dad," said Patricia. "Well, my adopted mom and dad."

"They moved to Washington State about six years later," continued Paige. "I couldn't find out anything about Patricia's biological parents. Like most adoptions the records are sealed and can't be opened without a court order."

"So does that mean Prue was my mom?" Patricia asked.

"Not necessarily, honey," said Piper. "It just means she was in the hospital when you were born. Like I said, Grams told us she had pneumonia then."

"But I have her power," said Patricia. "Doesn't that prove she's my mom?"

"It might," said Leo. "But Prue wasn't the only one with the power of telekinesis. There are other witches that have it, too."

"There has to be a way to find out," said Phoebe.

"We could do a DNA test," suggested Paige. "But they take time and they aren't exactly cheap."

"We could try summoning Grams," said Phoebe. "She might be able to help us."

"And if she doesn't know anything we'd be no better of than we are now," said Piper. "Besides, I agree with Leo. I don't think Grams would have allowed one of her granddaughters to be adopted out. Not knowing she'd probably be a witch someday."

"We could try to locate this Daniel Clary," said Leo. "The man in the photograph. If he knew Prue he might know if she was ever pregnant. And if he's Patricia's father he would probably be glad to see her after all these years. If he's not at least he might know who her father is."

"Can you do that?" Patricia asked. "Can you use your powers to find him?"

"I don't think we need our powers for that," said Phoebe. "Just tell us everything you know about him and we'll go from there. He has to be somewhere. It's just a matter of tracking him down."

"In the mean time," said Piper, "I still think it's a good idea if we called your parents and let them know you're safe. I'm sure they're worried sick about you."

"You promised not to tell them where I am," said Patricia.

"I know," said Patricia. "I'm just going to let them know you're okay."

"Okay," said Patricia. "I'm sure they don't care."

"Don't ever say that," said Paige. "They're your parents and I know they love you very much. And Piper's right. They're very worried about you. Besides, you're special."

"Because I'm a witch?" Patricia asked.

"No, because you're adopted," said Paige. "Don't you know how special that makes you? Most parents have to take their kids. They don't have a choice. Now, they love their kids. There's no doubt of that. But when you're born into a family they don't have a choice who they get.

"But your parents did have a choice. Of all the children they could have picked they picked you. They went out of their way to find you and adopt you. They went through a lot of hassle to get you. And believe me, as you get older they love you more, not less."

"Really?" Patricia questioned.

"Absolutely," said Paige. "I'm sure your father's sorry about what he said and I'm sure he didn't mean it. Your parents are human and like everyone else they're going to make mistakes. But they'll never stop loving you no matter what you do. I know that from personal experience."

"Piper," said Patricia, "I guess it will be okay if you told my parents where I am. If they're really interested, I mean."

"Okay," said Piper, smiling. "I think that's a good idea."

As Piper went to make the phone call Patricia told the others everything she had discovered about Daniel Clary.

"I'd better go speak to the Elders," said Leo. "If Patricia is a witch, they need to know about it."

"Okay," said Paige. "She should be okay with us."

Patricia just watched in fascination as Leo orbed out of the living room.

"Wow!" exclaimed Patricia. "Is he a witch, too?"

"No, he's called a White Lighter," said Phoebe. "We'll explain everything to you. Come on. Let's go up to the attic. Might as well start educating you about being a witch."


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

"So how's the education coming along?" Piper asked coming into the attic.

"Cool," said Patricia, looking up from the Book of Shadows. "I never knew there were so many neat things out there."

"Just remember," said Paige, "most of these are bad things. But you shouldn't have to worry about them for a while."

"Well, Patricia," said Piper, "your parents will be here tomorrow. They've been very worried about you. They seemed real relieved to know you're okay."

"Is momma okay?" Patricia asked.

"She's fine," said Piper. "Just a little bump. She was actually more worried about you."

"See, I told you they still loved you," said Paige.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Patricia. "I guess I'm in trouble."

"Probably," said Phoebe. "But you'll be okay. Just remember no matter what you do your parents are still going to love you."

"And we'll explain to your parents about who and what you are," said Phoebe. "That will help them to better understand what you're going through."

"But what if I hurt them?" Patricia asked. "I can't seem to control this telekinesis thing."

"That's because it's brand new to you," said Piper. "You just need to practice with it. We were the same way. We couldn't control our powers very well at first either. But with a little practice you'll be able to do it whenever you want."

"And what about when I don't want to?" Patricia asked.

"That shouldn't happen very much at all," said Phoebe. "But we can help you learn to control it."

"That's good," said Patricia. "It sounds like it could be a lot of fun."

"Okay, rule number one," said Piper. "You can't use your powers for personal gain. That's a very big no-no. Your powers are meant for you to help people. You have to remember that."

"Okay," said Patricia. "Boy, there sure is a lot to remember."

"Yes, there is," said Paige. "But you'll get the hang of it. We did."

"Will I get a White Lighter?" Patricia asked. "Like Leo?"

"We don't know, sweetie," said Phoebe. "That's up to the Elders. But you'll always have us. And you can call us whenever you need anything."

Just then Leo walked into the attic.

"So, what's the news?" Piper asked Leo.

"Apparently Patricia is a witch," said Leo. "But the Elders weren't aware of her. They're going to talk it over and then they'll let us know what they decide."

"Decide about what?" Patricia asked.

"The best way to teach you what you need to know," said Leo. "You'll be going back to Tacoma when your parents get here. They need to decide how best to handle the situation."

"Oh, okay," said Patricia.

"I thought it might be a good idea if I taught Patricia something about White Lighters," Leo said. "More than likely she'll be assigned one. It would probably be a good idea if she knew what to expect from them."

"Oh, there's plenty of time for that," said Piper. "I thought Patricia might want to help me get dinner ready."

"Sure," said Patricia. "I used to help my mom all the time."

"Come on, then," said Piper. "I can teach you something about cooking as well as being a witch."

"Okay, cool," said Patricia.

The four girls left the attic heading for the kitchen as Leo just watched. This was a bonding time for the girls and he knew he would probably just be in the way. He walked over and looked at the Book of Shadows. The ancient tome was over 300 years old. Its' magic was considerable. Anyone who controlled that book would be virtually unstoppable. Leo just smiled and then turned and left the attic.


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

Dinner was nearly ready when Leo orbed into the kitchen. As before, Patricia just stared in awe as Leo completed his orb.

"That is so cool," said Patricia. "Will I be able to do that some day?"

"No, I'm afraid not," said Leo. "It's something only White Lighters can do."

"Oh," said Patricia, a note of disappointment in her voice.

"Don't be too upset," said Phoebe. "I've always wanted to fly but it just wasn't in the cards. But you'll be able to do a whole lot of other neat things."

"So," said Piper, "any more news?"

"Well the Elders have decided that Patricia should have her own White Lighter," said Leo. "They just aren't sure which one it's going to be yet. It's kind of an unusual situation. Both of Patricia's parents are mortals. They feel the appointment of a White Lighter is particularly important in this case."

"That makes sense," said Paige. "Her White Lighter will have to educate not only her but her parents as well. That's a pretty big order."

"They also want the three of you to explain things to her parents," Leo said. "Make them understand just how special she is."

"Way ahead of you on that one," said Piper.

"What about my real parents?" Patricia asked. "Do these Elders know who my real parents are?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," said Leo. "But they're going to keep checking. We'll find out who they are soon, I'm sure."

"Hey, look what I can do," said Patricia.

She concentrated for several moments and suddenly the saltshaker slid across the table.

"That's pretty good," Leo said, smiling.

"It's kind of hard right now," Patricia said. "But they tell me it will become easier as I practice more."

"Yes, it will," said Leo. "Pretty soon you'll be able to do it without even thinking."

"That's gonna be cool," Patricia said.

"Just remember what I told you," Piper said.

"I know, I know, no personal gain," Patricia said. "That's okay. It's just cool what I can do."

"Well, dinner is just about ready," said Piper. "When we're done you can practice some more with your power. And we'll explain what it's like to be a witch."

"Cool," said Patricia heading for the dinning room.

"She sure uses cool a lot," Paige whispered to Piper.

"She's only twelve," Piper whispered back. "She'll grow out of it, I'm sure."

After dinner Patricia practiced more with her power. With the sisters' help she was becoming quite proficient with it. After about an hour the doorbell rang. Piper answered the door and found a man in his mid-forties standing on the front porch.

"Piper Halliwell?" questioned the man. "I'm Robert Shelling. We spoke on the phone earlier."

"Mr. Shelling," said Piper, glancing out into the empty street beyond. "I understood you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."

"I was able to catch a last minute flight," said Shelling. "I couldn't wait to get Patricia back."

"Daddy," Patricia cried, running to the man.

He hugged her tightly.

"You had us so worried," Shelling said to his daughter. "Your mother has been worried to death about you."

"I'm sorry," said Patricia. "Where is momma?"

"She wasn't feeling well," said Shelling. "But we have a flight back to Tacoma in a little while. We'll all be together again very soon."

"I think you should come in for a bit," Piper said. "As I explained on the phone, there are some things you need to know about Patricia being a witch. Very important things."

"Well, we do have a little time," said Shelling. "And I guess I should hear what you have to say. It's just all so sudden."

"I'll get some more coffee and we'll try to explain things to you," Piper said. "Everyone have a seat in the living room and I'll be right back."

Everyone went into the living room as Piper went into the kitchen to get the coffee. When she came back into the living room she was carrying a tray with the coffee on it.

"Daddy says momma is fine," Patricia said. "She wasn't hurt from what I did to her. She was just kind of shaken up."

"That's wonderful, sweetie," Piper said as she sat down. "So, Mr. Shelling, I have a question."

"Fine," said Shelling.

Suddenly Piper brought her hands up and Shelling froze instantly. With a wave of her hand Piper unfroze only his head.

"What's going on?" Shelling demanded, confused.

"Ah, ah, my questions first," said Piper. "Now. Who are you really?"


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

"Piper, what are you doing to my daddy?" Patricia asked.

"Nothing, honey, he's fine," said Piper. "But he's not your daddy."

"Piper, what's going on?" Leo asked.

"Trying to find out who he really is," said Piper. "My guess is he's the same warlock that attacked us in the kitchen. And who probably impersonated you in the attic."

"You're crazy," said Shelling. "I've never been here before. I just arrived a few minutes ago."

"Leo, do you remember what you said to us in the attic earlier?" Piper asked.

"The attic?" Leo questioned. "I wasn't in the attic."

"Somebody impersonating you was," said Piper. "Only he didn't orb in as you would have done. And he mentioned Patricia's parents coming to get her. Something I told them before you supposedly showed up so you wouldn't have known about it just then."

"That doesn't prove it was me," protested Shelling.

"Not by itself," said Piper. "But there was no cab outside when you showed up at the door. They always take a few minutes to fill out their logs before they go on to their next fare."

"So this one didn't," said Shelling. "That still doesn't prove anything."

"I called the airport," said Piper. "When I went to get the coffee. There weren't any flights from Tacoma today. And there aren't any scheduled to go there tonight."

"It was a private charter by a friend of mine," said Shelling.

"You have an answer for everything," said Piper. "Even how I explained over the phone that Patricia was a witch."

"So what?" Shelling asked.

"So, I never mentioned it over the phone," said Piper. "That's not something you break to someone on the phone. There are always a hundred questions when you tell someone that and it's best to do it in person.

"And while I was getting the coffee I called Patricia's home. Both of her parents are still in Tacoma. Which means you're an imposter. And since you can obviously shape shift that would make you a demon."

Shelling just smiled at Piper. Suddenly he shimmered slightly and changed form into the warlock that had attacked them in the kitchen. Patricia shrieked and moved over behind Phoebe well away from the warlock.

"You're smarter than I gave you credit for," said the warlock.

"Why are you after her?" Piper demanded. "Is it her power you want?"

"Actually, no," said the warlock. "I've all ready got telekinesis courtesy of another witch. Hers might increase my power a little bit but that would only be a side affect."

"Then what do you want with her?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, that would spoil all the fun, now wouldn't it?" questioned the warlock, a broad smile on his face.

The warlock looked down at the coffee table in front of him. He squinted and the table suddenly moved bumping him slightly in the legs. With the bump Piper's freeze of the warlock was broken. Before any of them could move the warlock blinked and vanished from the living room.

"Leo," said Piper, "get to Patricia's house and bring her parents back here. We can't risk him using them to get to her."

Leo orbed out of the living room.

"Don't worry, Patricia," Phoebe said. "Leo will bring your parents here where they will be safe."

"But why does he want me?" Patricia asked. "You said he would probably want to wait until my power developed some first. Plus, if he all ready has this telekinesis ability why does he want mine?"

"That's a good question," said Paige. "He's all ready got that ability that's apparent. So yours shouldn't be of much use to him. Why would he be trying to get an ability he all ready has?"

"He wouldn't," said Piper. "Which means he's after something else. I just don't know what that is just yet. But we're going to find out. And until we do, Patricia isn't to be left alone for a second."


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

Patricia's parents sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee. Michelle Shelling was still slightly shaken from Leo's orbing. Robert Shelling appeared to be more composed although he did seem a bit unnerved.

"So, let me get this straight," Robert said. "You're all witches? And Patricia is, too? That's why she's able to do the things she can do?"

"Yes," said Piper. "I know this is kind of a lot to take in. And with practice she'll be able to control her powers. She's doing very well all ready."

"Momma, I'm really sorry," said Patricia. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know that, honey," said Michelle, hugging her daughter. "We just didn't now what was going on, that's all. Now that they've explained it we can learn how to deal with it."

"Patricia, why did you run away?" Robert asked. "We've always been able to talk things over before."

"You never thought I was a freak before," said Patricia. "When you said I was a freak I thought you didn't love me any more."

"Honey, I never called you a freak," said Robert. "I would never do that. What I said was that what happened was freaky. I never meant that about you."

"Patricia," said Michelle, "don't ever think we don't love you. We couldn't love you any more if you were our own flesh and blood. Maybe we should have told you earlier that you were adopted. That was a mistake. But that doesn't mean we love you any less."

"See, I told you," Paige said to Patricia. "Being adopted makes you special. And you'll always be special."

"I guess you're right," said Patricia. "I was just curious about my real parents, that's all."

"Hey," said Paige, noticing a slight look of pain on Robert and Michelle's face, "they are your real parents. Being a mom is more than just giving birth. It's being there every day through the bad times as well as the good times. Don't ever think they aren't your real parents simply because you're adopted. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"Speaking of Patricia's biological mother," said Phoebe, "we were hoping you might know something about her. Patricia seems to think our sister, Prue, might have been her mother. And I gotta admit it does kind of look that way."

"Is that where Patricia got her powers?" Robert asked.

"Probably," said Piper. "Witches inherit their powers from their mothers. We can trace our lineage back more than three hundred years to Melinda Warren."

"Well, I do know her biological mother's name wasn't Prue," said Michelle. "It was Margaret. Apparently she had been ill for some time. She died when Patricia was born. We dealt with Patricia's grandmother for the adoption. She had custody after Patricia's mother died. As I recall she was the only relative Patricia had."

"What about the father?" Leo asked.

"Neither her mother nor her grandmother ever said anything about her father," said Robert. "To be honest, we really didn't care much. We aren't able to have children of our own. After I got out of the navy we decided to adopt. Our attorney located Patricia's mother when she was about six months pregnant. She knew she didn't have long to live and she was only interested in seeing that Patricia got a good home. She was a Godsend to us and we've never regretted it."

"So that means I'm not your niece," said Patricia.

"Looks that way, sweetie," said Phoebe. "I'm sorry. But look at it this way. You're a sister witch. That's something at least."

"Well, it's been a really long day," said Piper. "I think we could all use some sleep. I suggest we get a good night's sleep and discuss what to do next in the morning."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Robert. "Is there a hotel nearby?"

"Nonsense," said Paige. "We have room right here."

"Besides you're safer here," said Piper, "at least until we can take care of that warlock that's after Patricia. Phoebe, will you get them some bedding?"

"Sure," said Phoebe. "Come on. I'll show you to your room."

Phoebe got the bedding and showed the family to their room for the night.

"You should be pretty comfortable in here," Phoebe said. "In the morning we'll start…."

Suddenly the warlock blinked in behind Robert. Holding an athame to the man's throat the warlock smiled.

"If anyone makes a sound, I'll cut his throat," said the warlock.


	11. Chapter 11

**ELEVEN**

Piper, Paige, and Leo were straightening up the kitchen when they suddenly heard Phoebe call out for them. There was a note of urgency in Phoebe's voice. They all realized the warlock must have returned.

Paige didn't wait. She reached over and grabbed Piper's arm. At the same instant she and Leo orbed upstairs taking Piper with them. Piper was ready to explode the warlock the moment she saw him. As they orbed into the bedroom the sight that greeted them was just a bit confusing.

Instead of finding the warlock threatening the others he was lying on the floor. Robert Shelling was holding one of the warlock's arms and had it twisted around in what had to be a very uncomfortable hold. Robert also had his foot on the warlock's throat.

"You know how easy it is to snap someone's neck?" Robert asked the warlock. "But they tell me you're out to hurt my daughter. I want to know why."

"Well, this is certainly different," said Piper.

"Do something," the warlock cried out in pain, "he's breaking my arm."

"Gotta tell you I'm not disliking this," said Piper. "I suggest you answer the mans' question."

"Why are you after my little girl?" Robert demanded twisting the warlock's arm a little more.

"I need her to get the book," cried out the warlock in pain.

"What book?" Robert demanded.

"You mean the Book of Shadows?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes, yes, the Book of Shadows," said the warlock. "I knew none of you would be easy to get to. You're too powerful and too experienced. But the girl was young and inexperienced. I knew I could use her to get to the book."

"What's the Book of Shadows?" Michelle asked.

"It's a very powerful magic," Leo said. "It's the source of the girl's powers. If he could get hold of it he could become unstoppable."

"That's not possible," said Piper. "Evil can't even touch the book. It protects itself."

"If I can get the girls' essence," said the warlock, "I can fool the book into thinking I'm good. It's been done before."

"He's right there," said Phoebe. "But it still wouldn't do you any good. The book belongs to the line of Melinda Warren. Even if you could get it its magic wouldn't do you a whole lot of good. You couldn't utilize it's full potential."

"Can we talk about this after he lets me up?" asked the warlock. "He's about to break my arm. You have my word I won't try anything."

"Yeah, well you see we're not real big on taking the word of a warlock," said Piper. "Especially one that's already tried to kill us at least once."

"We have to do something," said Leo. "Robert can't hold him like that forever."

"Paige, get the crystals," Piper said.

Paige called for the crystals in the attic and they orbed immediately to her. She placed all but one of the crystals around Robert and the warlock. She held one in her hand ready to complete the magical cage.

"Robert, let him go," said Piper.

"What if he tries something?" Robert asked.

"He won't," said Piper. "Trust me, I'm not going to take any changes with a warlock."

Hesitantly Robert removed his foot from the warlocks' neck. He paused for a moment and then released the warlocks' arm taking a step back. Almost immediately Piper froze the warlock in place.

"Move away from him," said Piper, "but don't touch him. Paige, the crystal."

As Robert moved away from the warlock Paige put down the last crystal and created the magical cage. Piper moved everyone away from the cage so they wouldn't inadvertently knock one of the crystals away and then she unfroze the warlock. He looked around and smiled.

"Ah, you don't trust me," he said, rubbing the arm Robert had twisted.

"Enough chit chat," said Piper. "Now, tell us how you thought Patricia would help you get to the Book of Shadows. Who do you think she is anyway?"

"It's not who she is as much as who she's descended from," said the warlock. "Her mother was Margaret Harper, which probably doesn't mean anything to any of you. But Margaret's mother was Heather Baxter."

"Heather Baxter?" Leo questioned a note of recognition in his voice.

"I see at least one of you is familiar with the name," said the warlock.

"Who's Heather Baxter?" Paige asked.

"Heather Baxter was Penelope Baxter's younger sister," said the warlock. You know Penelope Baxter. You used to call her Grams. Patricia is descended from Melinda Warren."


	12. Chapter 12

**TWELVE**

"Will he be okay up there by himself?" Michelle asked as they sat in the living room.

"He'll be fine," said Piper. "That magical cage will hold him until we're ready to deal with him. Right now we need to discuss this and I don't want him listening in. First of all, someone want to explain to me how a human with no powers gets the drop on a warlock?'

"I may have no powers but I'm not exactly powerless," said Robert. "I do have skills. I'm an ex-Navy SEAL. All he had was that knife. I guess he figured I'd just cower in fear in front of him because of that. He has a lot to learn about a SEAL."

"I'll say," said Phoebe. "You can teach me a couple of those moves."

"What about what he said?" Patricia asked. "About my grandmother?"

"He's right about her name," said Michelle. "The woman we dealt with was named Heather Baxter. She was Patricia's grandmother and as we told you she had custody of Patricia after her mother died. It was all completely legal but she said Patricia didn't have any living relatives."

"Leo, you seemed to recognize the name," Paige said.

"Yes," said Leo. "I haven't heard it in about forty years. If it's true it would explain a lot."

"Grams had a sister named Heather?" Piper asked. "How come she never told us about her?"

"It happened a long time ago, before any of you were born," Leo said. "You know Grams was a powerful witch. But Heather didn't inherit any powers. It skipped her as it does sometimes."

"So she was just a normal person?" Michelle asked.

"We call them innocents," said Phoebe. "They don't have any powers to fight evil."

"Yes, she was an innocent," Leo said. "And it was always a point of contention between them. She could never understand why Penny got powers and she didn't. One day they got into an argument over it. A lot of angry words were exchanged. Heather stormed out saying as far as she was concerned Penny was dead and she never wanted to see her again."

"What happened?" Phoebe asked.

"Nothing," said Leo. "Heather left and Penny never heard from her again."

"So, does that mean we're related?" Patricia asked.

"If it's true," said Robert, "that would make you third cousins by my figuring."

"I'm pretty sure it's true," said Piper. "Like Leo said it would answer a lot of questions. Like where you got your witch powers. And why you have the same power Prue had."

"I'll check with the Elders again," Leo said. "With this information it should be easy to verity if she is your cousin."

"Well, cousins after all," Paige said, hugging Patricia. "Now you know where you come from. Believe me, I know how exciting that can be."

"What about our friend upstairs?" Robert asked. "What do we do about him?"

"He tried to kill Patricia," Michelle said. "And from the sounds of things, he's all ready killed other people. Shouldn't we turn him over to the police?"

"Somehow I don't think the police will be able to handle this one, honey," said Robert.

"Robert's right," said Phoebe. "There's only one way to deal with a warlock. We have to vanquish him."

"You mean kill him?" Robert asked. "I'm not sure I could condone that. It seems too much like murder to me."

"Robert, I know how this looks," Paige said. "But you were a SEAL. I'm sure you understand about war. Well, this is a war. A war between good and evil. He's all ready killed some witches. That's how he got his powers. If we don't vanquish him he'll just kill more witches. Maybe even Patricia."

"I understand that," Robert said. "But he's confined right now, right? He can't use his powers? Isn't there something you can do to make that permanent? It doesn't seem right to just kill him like that."

"We could use a power stripping potion," suggested Phoebe. "That would strip his powers and take away his reason for going after Patricia. Or any other witch for that matter."

"He may not want his powers stripped," Leo said.

"Okay, we give him a choice," Piper said. "That sounds like the fairest thing to me."

Together the small group headed upstairs to the bedroom where the warlock was being held prisoner. When they got to the bedroom Piper pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Okay, you have a decision to make," Piper said.

They all stared into the room speechless. The room was empty. The warlock was nowhere to be seen.


	13. Chapter 13

**THIRTEEN**

"What happened?" Phoebe asked. "How did he get away?"

"I don't know," Piper said, examining the crystals used to form the magical prison. "He must have used his telekinetic ability to move one of the crystals."

"That shouldn't have been possible," Paige said. "Not from inside the cage."

"Well he got away somehow," said Piper.

"What do we do now?" Michelle asked. "If he's after Patricia she could still be in danger."

"Maybe not," Leo said. "The girls are on to him now. He has to know they'll be prepared for him now. And now that Patricia is aware of what he is it won't be that easy to get to her now."

"Leo's right," said Piper. "Once Patricia has a White Lighter assigned to her they'll be able to help protect her. And we're here in case she ever needs any help."

"And we're only an orb away," said Paige.

"I guess there's not really much we can do about it," Robert said, "until and unless he comes back."

"Which he's not likely to do with me around,' said a man walking up to the group.

"Michael," Leo said. "What are you doing here?"

"Come to meet my new charge," said Michael, smiling at Patricia. "And her parents. The Elders felt that since there's a warlock after her all ready she could use some extra special help."

"You're a White Lighter, too?" Patricia asked.

"That I am," said Michael. "But I'm kind of a special White Lighter."

"That's good," Paige said. "Seems this warlock isn't after Patricia, per se. He wants her to get to the Book of Shadows."

"Well, with me around he'll think twice before he tries anything," Michael said.

"Let's go downstairs," Piper said. "There's nothing else we can do up here. And he's not likely to return with all of us around. Paige, you might as well put the crystals back in the attic. Looks like we won't be needing them tonight."

Paige collected the crystals and everyone filed out of the room. Paige headed for the attic to put the crystals away. As they all left the room the warlock suddenly appeared where the crystal cage had held him prisoner. He moved to the door and checked to make sure everyone was going downstairs. The warlock smiled to himself.

"Sometimes the simplest solution is the best," the warlock gloated. "A simple invisibility spell and they think I escaped. But they are right about one thing. It's too dangerous to go after the girl again. Especially with that warrior White Lighter around. I'll just have to come up with some other way to get what I'm after."

Smiling again, the warlock blinked and disappeared from the manor.

Michael orbed into the manor. It had been three days since the warlock had escaped from the manor. In that time he had not made another appearance.

"Hi, Michael," Paige said as he orbed in. "How is your latest charge doing?"

"Doing just fine," Michael said. "She told me to tell you to come by as soon as you get a chance."

"I'll do that," said Paige.

"How are her parents doing?" Phoebe asked.

"Not bad all things considered," said Michael. "Michelle is helping Patricia study to learn the Craft and Robert is very supportive of both of them. For mortals, they're doing quite well."

"Well, Leo told us that the Elders have been able to confirm what the warlock said," said Piper. "Apparently Patricia is our cousin, just like he said. Has he come back?"

"Not a sign," Michael said. "I think he might have reconsidered his plan. Going up against all of you and me is apparently more than he's willing to do."

"It looks like not all demons are stupid," Piper said.

"No, they aren't," said Michael. "I just stopped by to let you know everything is fine."

"Thanks," said Piper. "We appreciate it."

"I wonder if we have any other relatives out there we don't know about?" Phoebe asked.

"It's possible," Michael said. "I'm sure even I may have some relatives I don't know about."

"Well, Leo's off with one of his charges," Piper said. "We'll be sure to tell him you stopped by."

"Thanks," Michael said. "I'll stop by later and give you a full report. Assuming I can invite myself for dinner?"

"Sure, anytime," Piper said.

"Great," said Michael. "I'll see you later then."

Michael orbed out of the manor as Piper began to figure what she would need for another place at the dinner table.

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, You can also post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction.


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